Tafsir al-Baghawi - Al-Baghawi - (3/153)

Tafsir al-BaghawiAl-Baghawi

“Say: ‘Who rescues you?’” The others recited this without gemination. “And from every distress”: karb is the utmost anguish that grips the soul. “Yet then you associate others with Him”: that is, they acknowledge that the One whom they call upon in hardship is the One who rescues them; yet they then associate with Him idols which they know can neither harm nor benefit.

The words of Allah, glorified and exalted is He: “Say: ‘He is the One able to send upon you a punishment from above you.’” Al-Hasan and Qatadah said: This verse was revealed concerning the people of faith. Others said that it was revealed concerning the idolaters.

“a punishment from above you” means a thunderous cry, stones, wind, and flood, as He did with the peoples of ‘Ad, Thamud, Shu‘ayb, Lot, and Noah. “or from beneath your feet” means an earthquake and the swallowing of the earth, as He did with the people of Shu‘ayb and with Korah.

Ibn ‘Abbas and Mujahid said: “a punishment from above you” refers to tyrannical rulers, while “from beneath your feet” refers to wicked servants. Al-Dahhak said: “from above you” means from your elders, “or from beneath your feet” means from those below you. “Or to divide you into factions” means to mix you into factions and spread among you differing whims; “and make some of you taste the violence of others” means the swords of opposing sides, so that some of you kill others.

‘Abd al-Wahid ibn Ahmad al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il informed us; Abu al-Nu‘man informed us; Hammad ibn Zayd informed us, from ‘Amr ibn Dinar, from Jabir, who said: When this verse was revealed, “Say: ‘He is the One able to send upon you a punishment from above you,’” the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I seek refuge in Your Face.” Then, “or from beneath your feet,” and he said, “I seek refuge in Your Face.” Then, “or to divide you into factions and make some of you taste the violence of others,” whereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “This is less severe,” or, “This is easier.” (1)

Ahmad ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Salihi informed us; Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Hiri informed us; Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali Duhaym al-Shaybani informed us; Ahmad ibn Hazim ibn Abi Gharazah informed us; Ya‘la ibn ‘Ubayd al-Tanafi si informed us; ‘Uthman ibn Hakim informed us, from ‘Amir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, from his father, who said: We were travelling with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, until we passed by the mosque of Banu Mu‘awiyah. He entered and prayed two units of prayer, and we prayed with him. Then he conversed privately with his Lord for a long time, after which he said: “I asked my Lord for three things. I asked Him not to destroy my nation by drowning, and He granted it to me. I asked Him not to destroy my nation by famine, and He granted it to me. And I asked Him not to make them turn their violence against one another, but He withheld this from me.” (2)

(1) Al-Bukhari recorded it in the Book of Tafsir, under Surat al-Anam, chapter: “Say: He is able to send upon you ...” (8:291), as well as in the Book of Holding Fast to the Book and Sunnah and the Book of Tawhid. The author also recorded it in Sharh al-Sunnah (14:217). (2) Muslim recorded it from Uthman ibn Hakim in the Book of Tribulations, chapter: “The Destruction of This Ummah by One Another,” no. 2890 (4:2216). The author also recorded it in Sharh al-Sunnah (14:214-215).

"قُلْ مَنْ يُنَجِّيكُمْ" وَقَرَأَ الْآخَرُونَ هَذَا بِالتَّخْفِيفِ، ﴿وَمِنْ كُلِّ كَرْبٍ﴾ وَالْكَرْبُ غَايَةُ الْغَمِّ الَّذِي يَأْخُذُ بِالنَّفْسِ، ﴿ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ﴾ يُرِيدُ أَنَّهُمْ يُقِرُّونَ أَنَّ الَّذِي يَدْعُونَهُ عِنْدَ الشِّدَّةِ هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَجِّيهِمْ ثُمَّ تُشْرِكُونَ مَعَهُ الْأَصْنَامَ الَّتِي قَدْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّهَا لَا تَضُرُّ وَلَا تَنْفَعُ. قَوْلُهُ ﷿: ﴿قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ وَقَتَادَةُ: نَزَلَتِ الْآيَةُ فِي أَهْلِ الْإِيمَانِ، وَقَالَ قَوْمٌ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ. قَوْلُهُ ﴿عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: الصَّيْحَةَ وَالْحِجَارَةَ وَالرِّيحَ وَالطُّوفَانَ، كَمَا فَعَلَ بِعَادٍ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوْمِ شُعَيْبٍ وَقَوْمِ لُوطٍ وَقَوْمِ نُوحٍ، ﴿أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ﴾ يَعْنِي: الرَّجْفَةَ وَالْخَسْفَ كَمَا فَعَلَ بِقَوْمِ شُعَيْبٍ وَقَارُونَ. وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَمُجَاهِدٍ: ﴿عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ السَّلَاطِينَ الظَّلَمَةَ، وَمِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمُ الْعَبِيدُ السُّوءُ، وَقَالَ الضَّحَّاكُ: ﴿مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ مِنْ قِبَلِ كِبَارِكُمْ ﴿أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ﴾ أَيْ مِنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ، ﴿أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا﴾ أَيْ: يَخْلِطَكُمْ فِرَقًا وَيَبُثَّ فِيكُمُ الْأَهْوَاءَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ، ﴿وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ﴾ يَعْنِي: السُّيُوفَ الْمُخْتَلِفَةَ، يَقْتُلُ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ الْمُلَيْحِيُّ أَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعَيْمِيُّ أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانَ أَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ ﴿قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ "أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ"، قَالَ: ﴿أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ﴾ قَالَ: "أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ"، قَالَ: ﴿أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: "هَذَا أَهْوَنُ أَوْ هَذَا أَيْسَرُ" (١) . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الصَّالِحِيُّ أَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْحِيرِيُّ أَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ دُحَيْمٌ الشَّيْبَانِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَازِمِ بْنِ أَبِي غَرَزَةَ أَنَا يَعْلَى بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ الطَّنَافِسِيُّ أَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ وَقَّاصٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ: أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى مَرَرْنَا عَلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ فَدَخَلَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ فَنَاجَى رَبَّهُ طَوِيلًا ثُمَّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلَاثًا: سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَمَنَعَنِيهَا" (٢)

(١) أخرجه البخاري في التفسير، سورة الأنعام، باب "قل هو القادر على أن يبعث عليكم ... " ٨ / ٢٩١، وفي الاعتصام، وفي التوحيد. وأخرجه المصنف في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٢١٧. (٢) أخرجه مسلم عن عثمان بن حكيم، في الفتن، باب هلاك هذه الأمة بعضهم ببعض، برقم (٢٨٩٠) : ٤ / ٢٢١٦. والمصنف في شرح السنة: ١٤ / ٢١٤-٢١٥.